


Where There's Smoke

by thedarkandstormyknight



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-24
Updated: 2014-09-24
Packaged: 2018-02-18 16:29:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2355080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thedarkandstormyknight/pseuds/thedarkandstormyknight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Long before recorded history, the four Elements - Earth, Air, Water, and Fire - were placed on Earth in human form to wander the globe and teach people to wield the elements as powers. It did not take long for those who had no natural talent in those areas to fear those who did. Students of the Elements, aptly named Elementals, were slowly shunned more and more, until the current King decided to confine them and use their power for his own.</p><p>One band of Elementals refused to cooperate. As their resistance gained momentum and recognition, the Elements slowly gravitated and decided to pledge their aid. The only one missing now is Fire, unseen and unheard of for over one hundred years, when his last master student attempted to slaughter over one thousand people in a fire. But the group's leader, Enjolras, is determined to locate Fire and become his student, and will stop at nothing to achieve this goal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where There's Smoke

The first thing Enjolras noticed when the stranger entered the pub was the strong smell of smoke, followed by a gust of heat. They didn’t get strangers much anymore, not since the latest of travel bans were passed by the king. And those who did still manage to pass through towns undetected by border patrols were usually not the type to come to this particular bar which, while well loved by it’s patrons, had fallen on harder times in the past year or so.

 

The man wore a light brown scarf pulled up over the lower half of his face and a roughly hewn shirt with singed sleeves. He had long dark red hair pulled into a winding braid except for several wavy locks that fell into his face, slightly covering a curving scar around his eye. He sat down on a bar stool, bare feet curling around a wooden rung.

 

“A pint of ale, please. Actually, make it two,” he said in a soft, crackling voice. He tossed a few coins carelessly on the worn wooden counter as Musichetta, the pub’s owner, placed a single pint in front of him.

 

“Drink that first, love, and then I’ll get you a second.” Without a moment of hesitation, the stranger lifted the mug and chugged the entire thing. Enjolras was mesmerized by the bob of his adam’s apple and the way he unflinchingly stared at Musichetta. He set his mug down with a hollow thud and wiped his mouth with the back of one soot-stained hand.

 

“Two more, please.” This time Musichetta placed two pints in front of him without pause. He sipped at the second slowly before looking around the bar. Enjolras started when the warm brown eyes met his from across the room. As the man’s mouth curved into a smile that made Enjolras feel suspiciously hot under his collar, he turned his attention back to his friends in great haste.

 

“So the question is, is this a ruse or not?” murmured Combeferre as he pushed the King’s latest decree forward on the table for all to see. Jehan shook her head.

 

“Of course it’s a ruse. We just need to decide if we want to go or not.”

 

“I vote no,” said Montparnasse shortly, fingering the emerald gem around her neck. Enjolras was certain she only attended meetings for Jehan, as she had little interest in their actual work. Still, he appreciated her input, as he appreciated all his friends.

 

“You’re not an Element, love. It’s Cosette, Joly, and I who must decide,” responded Jehan lightly, pulling Montparnasse’s hand away from her necklace to entwine their fingers together. Montparnasse, who was ill tempered on the best days, merely huffed, although she did allow Jehan to hold her hand in front of everyone, which was a step forward.

 

“I don’t think we should go,” said Joly. He leaned forward to look at the decree again, the strands of his long, ice blue hair trailing across the table. Cosette shook her head.

 

“What can the King do to us? We’re three Elements against him. I rather like the odds.” She smiled lightly and confidently.  

 

“Now is not the time for fighting,” interjected Courfeyrac. “Too many people are still afraid of elementals and the Elements. They’ll support the King over us. They want separation. We need more support first.”

 

“Support won’t come without action. I say we prove how much more powerful we are,” Bahorel disagreed. Of course he would say that. He cut an intimidating figure with his swords and scythe and armor. The long scar cutting through his right eye and rendering it blind only contributed to the image.

 

“A display of power will only inspire more fear and the people will take greater measures against us.” Combeferre’s calm counters were, as always, right on point. Enjolras opened his mouth to say so when a blackened hand reached down and pulled the decree off the table. Following the arm, Enjolras found himself face to face with the stranger. The smell of burning wood filled his nostrils, and he coughed.

 

“Excuse me,” he choked out between coughs. “What are you doing?” But the man ignored him, his brown eyes flitting over the paper in deep concentration.

 

“The King wants the four original Elements to report to his castle for negotiations? Is he for real?” growled the stranger in the same dry, hoarse voice. Feeling a stab of annoyance at the intrusion, Enjolras snatched the paper back.

 

“Yes. Now if you don’t mind, we’re having a private meeting --”

 

“Private, my ass. I could hear the whole thing from the bar. If you actually want it to be private, try meeting somewhere other than a public place,” grinned the stranger. Then he stuck out a hand. “Grantaire, at your service.” Feeling incredibly wrong-footed, Enjolras cautiously accepted the handshake. The man’s skin was hot to the touch and his grip strong.

 

“Enjolras.”

 

“I know. When I heard there was a group of people stupid enough to openly defy the King, I had to come see for myself. How does it feel to have a death wish?” Enjolras was not the only one who bristled at Grantaire’s casual dismissal of their work. Cosette glared, her grey blue hair darkening like a storm.

 

“How does it feel to stand by as people are herded like cattle into various encampments and denied full equal rights? Just for being an elemental and having power not everyone is born with?” Enjolras asked, speaking before Cosette had the chance to blow him over. Indeed, she wasn’t the only one who looked ready to attack. Grantaire just tilted his head calmly.

 

“You don’t think people have good reason to fear elementals?” Enjolras hated to admit it, but this stranger had a point. One of the earlier students of the Fire Element had taken his elemental teachings and gone horribly, terribly wrong. It had resulted in the slaughter of millions of people before he could be stopped. In fact, as a result, Fire had not been seen nor heard of since the Incident, although Enjolras wanted nothing more than to receive the title of master under his tutelage.

 

“That was long in the past. Besides, one person going haywire does not mean every elemental, every person with the potential to master an element, should be locked up and separated and kept for the King’s private army. It’s a way of maintaining absolute control and shutting down opposition so the people have no power!” Enjolras responded. He felt very passionately that it was wrong to blame Fire like so many did for the murders done by one man.

 

“You’re a fire elemental, aren’t you?” said Grantaire after staring at Enjolras for a moment imperceptibly.

 

“Yes, so?” The defensiveness of his tone was automatic. Fire elementals were always looked on suspiciously because of the Incident. As much as Enjolras wore his talent proudly, complete with a red design tattooed under each eye, sometimes the automatic judgements were tiring. Grantaire just nodded.

 

“Nothing. The red shirt and fire braces sort of gave it away, even without the tattoos. So, can I join your group?”

 

“What?” Grantaire shrugged, taking a seat next to Bossuet. The bald man was the only one with a friendly smile for Grantaire. “You need someone sensible in your group or you’ll all get killed. And I’m curious. Think of me as a potential convert. All I need is to be convinced.”

 

“That’s not really how it works,” said Courfeyrac carefully. Combeferre nodded.

 

“You have to be dedicated to the cause.”

 

“Well, what’s the cause?” Now this was the sort of question Enjolras loved to answer.

 

“To end the tyranny of our current government and to make a world where all people are given equality, elemental or not, so we can live in a world of peace without fear,” he delivered passionately. Grantaire nodded.

 

“Okay great. Sign me up.”

 

“You have to prove that we can trust you,” growled Montparnasse. Bahorel cracked his knuckles.

 

“And you better do it fast.” As Marius opened his mouth to protest, deeply abhoring violence, Feuilly burst into the pub with a gust of wind at his back.

 

“It’s a trap. You can’t go. He plans to capture the three of you so the only way elementals can get instruction in their given fields is to pay him for access to you. That way he controls who learns and who doesn’t. He also plans on rounding up all the masters and executing those who refuse to join him.” Feuilly’s announcement caused an uproar.

 

“And he thinks he’s going to do that how?” growled Bahorel.

 

“Okay, we definitely shouldn’t go,” murmured Joly.

 

“How dare he assume he can control us?” snarled Jehan, her eyes darkening and the building shaking on its foundation.

 

“Is there a way we can turn this around on the king?” Combeferre mused.

 

“Guys!” The talking stopped and everyone looked to Enjolras expectantly. He held up his hands for their silence. “Feuilly, thank you for delivering the news. As always, your service and dedication is appreciated. Do you have anything to add?”

 

Feuilly sunk into a chair, accepting the glass of water Musichetta handed him. After he drained it, he shook his head.

 

“I couldn’t find out how he planned to capture the Elements, although apparently he had been recruiting elementals, especially fire ones, since Fire hasn’t appeared in so long. Who’s the new guy?” He nodded at Grantaire. Grantaire stuck out a hand.

 

“Grantaire. I just joined. Nice meet you.” Enjolras groaned and, to his immense embarrassment, resisted the urge to childishly stomp his foot.

 

“You did not just join. You merely declared you had joined without any conversation with any of us. This is a sensitive operation, and you’re not invited.” Grantaire tisked, leaning back in his chair so the fragile legs creaked threateningly.

 

“That’s not very inclusive of you. Look, rumor has it that three of the four Elements have joined your cause. Your conversation has only confirmed it. So I think it would be a smart move to let me, the only one with any sort of survival instinct, to join. It’s all good and well to discuss revolution against our lord and master, but my priority is making sure the Elements keep their autonomy.” Once again, Grantaire made an excellent point. because they really couldn’t afford to risk Cosette, Joly, and Jehan.

 

“There are rumors that we joined?” asked Joly nervously. “That’s probably bad.”

 

“No,” said Enjolras in sudden disagreement. “Don’t you see it’s just what we need? Now Fire can’t ignore us!” That resulted in an incredulous laugh from Grantaire.

 

“Fire? Your goal is to get Fire to join? You already have Air, Earth, and Water. What more do you want?” Enjolras bristled even as Combeferre laid a warning hand on his arm in an attempt to calm him. But Enjolras was a fire elemental and a temperamental personality was part of the job description.

 

“If I can just talk with Fire, I can convince him to teach me. I want to - no, I need to be a master.” It was his deepest wish. To meet Fire and learn from him. There hadn’t been a master in hundreds of years. The only way to become a master was to learn from the Element or an Elemental dubbed a master by that Element. Beyond that, there was no way. So all fire masters had died out after Fire vowed to stop teaching. But Enjolras knew he could convince them to reevaluate that decision. He had to.

 

“Good luck with that,” drawled Grantaire. Enjolras flushed. The candle flames scattered throughout the room jumped a little higher in response. He opened his mouth to defend himself when Jehan rapped smartly on the table.

 

“Not to interrupt but I think we were discussing the king’s plan to capture us and use our power for his own devices?” Ah yes, that was more important than arguing with this rather infuriating stranger. Mumbling an apology, Enjolras dove right back into the thick of the meeting.

 

They ended up deciding not to take the bait and to hold off for now. They were still gathering strength. Enjolras hated it sometimes. He wanted action. He wanted to stop this thing now in it’s tracks. But they just didn’t have enough people, even with the support of three of the four Elements.

  
Surprisingly the stranger stayed. Apparently Grantaire really did plan on joining the group. Enjolras didn’t like it. But seeing as half their members had joined in similar ways, Enjolras wasn’t sure they could really keep him away. Plus he could identify the Elements. It was better to keep him close for now. Enjolras wasn’t about to risk anyone’s lives. 


End file.
